Tempo Learning is Walden's competency-based format: no weekly deadlines, a flat rate per 3-month subscription, and assessments graded Mastered, Achieved, or Not Achieved. The stakes hide in the rules, three attempts per assessment, and an Achieved can never be upgraded to Mastered, so the first submission matters more than most students realize. A tutor can review your Work Product or Performance Task against the live competency rows in 24 to 48 hours. You remain the author, verify the evidence, and make the final submission decision; because subscriptions are flat, a disciplined learning cadence can reduce both delay and cost.
How Tempo actually works, in five verified facts
Grading is competency-based: Mastered equals an A and requires 80 percent of rubric rows at Exceeds Expectations; Achieved equals a B with every row at meets-or-exceeds; Not Achieved is a fail. You may hold up to three competencies at once and must show activity at least every 30 days. Starts land on the first Monday of any month, twelve entry points a year. And billing is a flat rate per 3-month subscription, however much you complete. Those five facts define both the danger and the opportunity of the format.
Every Tempo assessment type, handled
| Type | What it is | Our delivery |
|---|---|---|
| Work Products (WP) | The written deliverables: plans, analyses, papers built to a competency rubric. | Criterion-mapped review of your draft, 24-48 hours |
| Performance Tasks (PT) | Applied scenario tasks demonstrating the competency in action. | Drafted with the scenario's specifics worked through, 24-48 hours |
| Short Answer (SA) | Structured written responses. | Complete, sourced, and rubric-aligned |
| Selected Response (SR) | Objective checks. | Prep and coaching so you clear them clean |
The attempt rules, which change everything
Three attempts per assessment, one more on an approved appeal, and, the rule that matters most, an Achieved is final: you cannot re-attempt it chasing Mastered. That means casual first submissions permanently cost transcript quality, and burned attempts stack real risk on the third try. Our pipeline is built for first-attempt Mastered: the research analyst decodes the rubric rows, the writer drafts to Exceeds Expectations on every row we can reach, and the QA pass scores it like a Tempo evaluator before you ever submit. Protecting attempts is the service.
The subscription math
Flat-rate periods mean pace is tuition, exactly like the other competency formats we support. A student clearing one competency a month uses four subscriptions where a supported student clears the same list in one or two. Walden markets the RN-to-BSN, a verified Tempo program, at as few as 10 months and around $15,000; disciplined pacing with a team drafting every Work Product is how the fast end of that range actually happens. Tempo's published subscription rate itself changes, so treat your enrollment quote as the number, and run the pace logic in chat with your manager.
Quick answers
What guarantee applies on Tempo?
Is my program actually Tempo?
Can you handle the 30-day activity rule for me?
Make this subscription your last
Tell us your competency list and where you are. First premium sample free.